Our relationship with our living spaces is changing. Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in 2020 and we had stay home for weeks and months at a time, many homeowners realized they needed to renovate or remodel their spaces to make them more comfortable and functional.
You may be happy with your home, but there’s usually a space that you wish you could improve. A simple renovation project can add value, comfort and functionality to your home without having to invest a lot of money.
Here are some renovation ideas for your home office, kitchen, bathrooms, and other areas to help inspire you plan your next home improvement project.
Create a Home Office
The pandemic led to an unprecedented number of people having to work remotely. As their productivity waned, many of them realized that a couch or kitchen table is not an adequate home office. Suddenly, creating a suitable working space became a necessity and not a luxury.
If you don’t have enough space to turn a separate room—such as a guest room, attic or basement—into a home office, consider every nook and corner you have as a potential working space. You could use a corner in your living room or kitchen, a closet where you can fit a narrow desk and some shelving, a landing space on a stairwell, the area under the stairs.
Tip: Don’t just look at the horizontal space you can spare, but also focus on maximizing any vertical available to you.
Update Your Kitchen
A kitchen can be a make-it or break-it point when buying or selling a home. Having a kitchen that is both functional and beautiful is becoming a greater priority for homeowners. If you’re unhappy with your kitchen, you can redo the entire room or make a few strategic changes to make it more appealing and useful for you.
Kitchen storage is a highly desirable feature. If you don’t have one yet, consider adding a pantry to store extra food and miscellaneous items. It doesn’t have to be a large space. Even a recessed wall with some shelves can be turned into a pantry. Following are other ideas to spruce up your kitchen:
- Modern open layout
- Varied counter heights
- Kitchen island with a wet bar
- Tile backsplash
- Mini-bar with stools
- Stainless steel appliances
- Hardwood floors
- Custom counters and cabinetry built for short or tall homeowners
Modernize Your Bathroom
It may be a small room, but there’s a lot you can do to upgrade your bathroom. Brighten it up by replacing the tub with an all-glass shower. Place a piece of antique furniture, artwork or some other design element in the bathroom, and do a makeover around it.
Here are other ideas that can modernize your bathroom and boost its appeal should you decide to sell your home in the future:
- Add a colorful tile mural
- Replace the light fixtures
- Paint existing cabinetry
- Install a stone floor in the shower
Look Under the Stairs
If your home has a staircase, you have an opportunity to do something creative in the area under it. Add shelves to display things you love, such as books, music records, picture frames and decorative items. You could turn that nook into a small office, play area for your kids or a sleeping spot for your pet. You could also use it as a well-designed and organized storage area.
Give Purpose to Unused Space
Don’t let valuable space go to waste. Many homeowners have space that they either under-use or don’t use. If you don’t use your formal dining room or have an unfinished basement, consider converting these areas into rooms that will add value to your family and home, such as a home office, entertainment room, art studio or home gym.
A Splash Color Goes a Long Way
We all know that colors can affect our moods in a positive or negative way. If you’re not in a position to do a home renovation or remodeling project at this time, you can still primp your home with a fresh coat of paint in one or more rooms. You can use paint to create accent walls and add depth and dimension to a room. Keep in mind that lighter colors tend to make rooms seem larger and brighter, while darker colors make rooms feel smaller.
Rethink Your Home’s Lighting
You can alter the vibe of your home by adding or changing lighting fixtures in a few strategic areas, such as the living room, dining room and kitchen. Replace some of your light fixtures and lamps with spotlights and low-hanging pendant lights to create interesting focal points and enhance the ambiance in those rooms. Remember that when it comes to light, yellow tones are warmer and more welcoming than white or blue tones.
After you settle on an idea, you can hire an interior designer and/or contractor to make your vision a reality. If you plan to do the work yourself, a home renovation app can help you design, plan, budget and schedule your project. Good luck!